Railroad passenger car



May 5, 1942- w. c. KEYS ErAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CAR Filed oct. '7,' 193e atented May 5., 1942 UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE y RAILROAD PASSENGER CAR.

l Walter CQ Keys, Detroit, liilich.,r James A. l Younglove, Highland Park, lll., and Robert D. Gal'trell,` Oakland', and Rich'arll H. Hambdge, N utlcy, N.- J., assignors,by 1nesne assignments,

to -United YStates Rubber Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey sppxitauonoctober 7, 193s,- serial No. 233308 (Cl. 10s- 15) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to railroad cars having a vestibule entrance extending betweenv the` ad# jacent coupled ends of thecars which are closed at least in part by a diaphragm. The inventionv relates particularly to the improved connection between the diaphragms and the ends of the cars,v or vestibules extending between such ends'. Heretofore the vestibules of railway cars have been provided with diaphragmsA to protect the vestibule entrances from theA outsideA weathery condition. The connection between the diaphragms and the rigid walls of the vestibules have been so constructed that when the diaphragms were placedV under tension, dueto the relative movement between the ends of the cars or the spring tension operating thereon, anuneven strain wasplaced upon the margins Vo1 the' diaphragrns along the line of connect-ion between it and the rigid walls of the ends ofE thev cars or vestibules. This was caused in some cases' by' inated and this frequent cause of failure due to the uneven distribution of forces is substantially eliminated. Another object of the present invention is to provide a construction which will-` facilitate the attachment of theI diaphragml to the vestibule or car end.

The foregoing andotherobjects and features of this invention are disclosed more in detail in thefollowing description and the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a partial horizontalview of the ends of two articulated cars, showing an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical secticnorr line 2-2 of Fig. 1; l

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional `view of the improved connection betweenA the vestibule or car end; and

Fig. 4 is a modifiedefo-rmof the improved connection.` I A This invention is'- illustrated in reference to an articulated car of the type shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,056,227 granted October 6, 1936 to W. H. Mussey, et al. Each of the adjacent ends I0 of the cars are supported on the same truck on a common pintle point II. The particular construction of the car is not important to this GlA invention, and only suchgdetails will be described as are necessary for the understanding `of the invention. The side and roof sheets I2 and `end sheets I3 are secured to a corner post I4. The

`inner edges of the end sheets I3 are connected tojendposts I5 towhich is secured the door posts II?.l The vestibule unit I1 is of the cylindrical typeand is i'lx'ed to the same truckion which the ends of the cars are supported and is mounted centrally over the axis of the pintle center II. The Avestibule, unitr I-`Iv comprises a cylindrical sheet'of metalv I8 having openings I9 therein oppositet-he space between the door post I6, forming tlfiel passageway betweenthe cars. The cylindrical sheetjIBk is retained in lplace between the ends of the carsl by` means of spring pressed rollers 2-0 mounted in slides 2'I which operate withinguide boxes 22 formed in the end post I5. Flexible inner vestibule diaphragms 23, extendn ing between the end-posts I5 and thecylindrica-l sheet I"8 and connected tothe respective memberseform sealsv between the ends of the cars and the vestibule unit I1;

Thevestibule 1`Jr'1itj` I I is provided with anV outer diaphragniZd having one of its marginal edges attached-itc the sideandroof sheets I2 `by a conn-ectioijr` 24"?, andthe other marginal'edge is at; tached toz a U-shaped-st'rip 25*L secured by means of a-bracket 251 to a'` pivoted arrn 25 which re# ""taifns the outer diaphragm 24 under tension.

The arm 25 is pivoted on a bracket 2tl which is securedto the'V cylindricaly sheet I8 of the vestibuler unit I1. A-ten'sionspring 27 extends from the' bracket 2Iiy to anjafrrn 273l on the main arm 25a`id resilientlyholds' the main arm 25 away from the end of the side and roof sheet I2 to which'the outer diaphragm 24` is attached, and thereby' maintains it under tension. I

shownin'Fig-Z', the U-shaped strip 25a ex- Itendsf up the side and across the top.- and down the other side of the car and-operates within aweather shed 2`9'whic'h is attached to the rear end' of the forward car. Rollers 3i) are carried bythe' bracket 2 5? which forms a connectionv between the arm 25 and the U-shaped strip 25a and cooperate with the weather shedl 29.

Theconnection24a` between the margin of the diaphragm 2liy and the side and roof sheetA I2 and thel lil-strip 25:91 is shown in'detail in Fig. 3. The outer diaphragm 24 is preferably made of elastic rubber composition and is provided with a bead 3| having a iiexible relatively non-flowable insert 32 around which the rubber is vulcanized and united thereto. The insert is preferably made of fabric having a friction coating of semi-hard rubber. The bead 3| fits into a groove 33 formed into a metal shape 34 which may be attached to the side and roof sheet I2 or to the U-strip a. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the metal shape 34 is attached to the side and roofv sheet l2, or the U-strip 25a, as the casemay be, by means of bolts 35. The diaphragm 24 extends through a narrowed opening 36 formed in the groove 33. The bead 3| is provided with a sloping edge 3l and cooperates with a corresponding sloping shoulder in the groove 33. The width of the opening 36 as measured between the surfaces thereof on the oppositesides of the diaphragm 24 being less thanthethickness of the .bead 3| as measured in the corresponding direction, the bead is retained in the groove33.

The terms widt as applied to the opening and thickness as applied to the bead areV hereinafter used in the above sense.

'Ihe bead 3| is provided with an outer layer of fabric 38 which protects the rubber from being chafed by the inner walls of the groove 33 upon the movement of the bead'therein. The sloping edges 31 on the bead and the corresponding sloping shoulder 36a on the walls of the Vgroove 33 are provided to equalize thepressure on the .bead throughout its length when tension is applied to the diaphragm 24. In this form of connection the metal shape 34 extends along the ends of the side and roof sheets, and may be made in one or more sections. In order to attach the diaphragm, the bead 3| is inserted in the groove 33 by slipping the bead lengthwise through the groove before the metal shape 34 is attachedV to the side and roof sheet I2.

A modied form of connection is shown in Fig. 4. In this construction the diaphragm 33a has a bead 39 which is provided with only one sloping edge 40 and ts in a groove 4| which may be opened by a removable side 42.V VA grooved metal shape 43 forming the other side of the groove is permanently secured to the end sheet I3 by rivets 44. The bead 39 is provided with a ilexible insert 45 and an outer layer of protective fabric 46 similar to the insert 32 and protective layer of fabric 38 respectively, as shown in Fig.

3. In order to assemble the diaphragm, the` plate 42 is removed by means of the screws 4'|.l

When the groove 4| isr opened, the bead39 may be inserted therein and it is retained in place when the plate 42 is replaced.

It is intended that the inner vestibule diaphragme 23 may be provided with similar connections as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 for securingl the margins of the diaphragm tothe ends of the cars or to the cylindrical metal sheet I8 y forming a part of the vestibule It is also intended that the term vestibule as used herein refers to the space between the adjacent ends of the cars of a train and that the term vestibule diaphragm refers to either the outer or inner diaphragm. It is further contemplated that the vestibule diaphragms may be stretched between and attached to the adjacent ends of cars pro-l vided with separate trucks and having the common coupling extending therebetween. In Such case the elasticity of the diaphragms are sufficient to permit them to stretch an amount greater than the maximum variation between the lines of attachment along the adjacent ends of the cars when passing from a straight track to a curved track. It will be also understood that changes in the detail as shown and described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination in a railway car of a vestibule flexible diaphragm for said vestibule, and

f of means for connecting said diaphragm to the end of said car comprising a marginal bead formed on the edge of said diaphragm and merging into the surface of the diaphragm, a member f secured to the end of said car and having a groove formed therein which retains said bead,

' said groove having an opening the width of which is less than the thickness of said bead and through which said diaphragm projects, said groove having a throat leading directly to said opening in the lengthwise direction of the car, said throat forming an abutment for the sloping side of said bead and conforming substantially to the shape of the surface of the bead contacting therewith, said bead and groove having a center line lying substantially in a plane perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the car, said bead having a sliding t in said groove and thereby being adapted to be pulled as a whole by the diaphragm towards said opening and wedged in said throat and thereby support the entire pull on said diaphragm.

2. The combination in a railway car of a vestibule, an elastic rubber composition diaphragm for said vestibule, and of means for connecting said diaphragm to the end of the car, said diaphragm having a marginal bead provided with a relatively hard exible core consisting of fabric treated with a friction coating of semi-hard rubsaid diaphragm to form said bead, said bead having a cross sectional shape which slopes towards said diaphragm and merges into its surface, an outer layer of fabric incorporated into said bead and extending along said diaphragm beyond said bead, andsaid bead fitting into a retaining groove formed in a member attached to the end of said car, said groove having an opening through which said diaphragm projects, the Width of said opening being less than the thickness of said bead, said groove having a throat leading directly to said opening in the lengthwise direction of the car, said throat forming an abutment for the sloping edge of said bead and conforming substantially to the shape of the surface of the bead contacting therewith, said bead and groove having a center line lying substantially in a plane perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the car, said bead having a sliding t in said groove and thereby being adapted to be pulled as a whole by the diaphragm towards s aid opening and wedged in said throat and thereby support the entire pull on Vsaid diaphragm.

WALTER C. KEYS.

JAMES A. YOUNGLOVE.

ROBERT D. GARTRELL.

RICHARD H. HAMBIDGE. 

